Influence of Plastic on Particle Size Distribution in Aquatic Systems

Plastic materials are used in various domains, such as constructions, textile, or medical applications, due to their durability and versatility. Despite plastics contribution to human wellbeing, these materials can also have a negative impact on ecosystems, leading to water pollution and loss of aquatic life. However, no study has been made, so far, to determine the impact of plastic products on natural particle size distribution in water systems. The aim of this study is to evaluate if plastic affects aquatic particulate matter of different size ranges, from 0.3 to 16 000 nm. Three types of plastics (polystyrene [PS], polypropylene [PP], and low‐density polyethylene [LDPE]) have been added to lake water samples and incubated for nine months at room temperature. Results show that the average particle size increases toward the end of the experiment indicating that small particles (